The common folk's monastic cloak, unbridled by the dictates of fashion

Taking a stroll while bundled in gray-green fabric marked with a lotus blossom pattern, with light steps, the body unburdened, like light wings of compassion released from the weight of the world, hovering like butterflies peacefully dancing on Vulture Peak.

Clothes protect the body from snow and wind, they are worn for social functions, and to display vibrant colors, and finally, there are the clothes worn when leaving this world. Throughout every facet of our lives, our actions are joined in concert with these things we call "clothing."

Take a look at the streets of any city, everywhere you look there are distinct characteristics and an incessant diversity of styles. Wearing clothes can be a self-manifestation of each person's individual character , especially for those who want to enjoy idiosyncratic subtleties of differentiation. Through this means of expression, what began as a simple necessity of life has turned into a form of culture. Clothing is, as Professor Lee Kihyang's pet phrase states, "life itself."

Professor Lee says that she has always labored to find a way to contribute to the globalization of Korean culture through the modernization of tradition through its adaptation into daily life. Like the smile of Kasyapa when the Buddha held up a lotus blossom on Vulture Peak, the Buddha seems to smile in response to her budding dreams. For the past 10 years or so, Professor Lee, infatuated with a humane Buddhism that argues for the dignity of all humanity by positing the presence of Buddha-nature within all living beings, has pursued a harmony between the fine arts, such as printmaking, the fashion aesthetics that she studied overseas, and the quest for embodying the Buddhism that she values so highly.

Not long ago, the works that embody these ideas were put on display at an exhibition titled, "Mandala Revelation." Through the mediation of her rare spiritual sentiment, this surreptitious rendezvous between Buddhist patterns and fashion has produced articles of clothing that emerge resplendent.

"I think that ultimately, everything should be done for the benefit of humanity. I have always wanted to create Korean clothing that brings a sense of warmth and is possessed of an aesthetic sentiment and religious love, not flamboyant clothing that simply seduces the eye." It is no exaggeration to say that her pursuit of newness has made her a pioneer who is willing to break the stereotypes of what casual clothing should be and to narrow the gap between daily life and religion.

Her Buddhist stencil paintings, drawn on fine-textured black silk, are reminiscent of the sacred darkness that existed at the dawn of creation. With a mix of Buddhist ritual songs and western music filling the space like divine music floating through the ether, the parade of her refined clothing is like a shimmering light in the darkness, softly revealing its noble form.

The clear gaze of the Buddha's ten disciples eases our heavy hearts while the famished mien of the Hungry Ghost, vividly suffering from the ravages of starvation, reproaches us for the foolishness of our avarice. In a similar way, the profound smiles of the Willow Branch Gwaneum and the Water Gazing Gwaneum convey the truth of the lotus blossom, a flower that is not sullied by the mud from which it sprouts. Amitabha Buddha leads people to the Western Paradise by guiding them through the right ascetic practices and Bodhisattva Jijang is also present, manifested atop a lotus blossom, devoted to saving sentient beings weighed down by the karma of their bad deeds.

As the show proceeded, the scene was so profound it was as if therewas a breathless silence, even as spectators certainly bustled about and made noise. The faces of the audience bore a most tranquil guise, as if they were in the midst of a happy dream, under the serene illusion that they were entirely removed from the hustle of daily life.

Relieved from the strenuous efforts and constant strain she suffered during the creation of her works, Lee greeted me bashfully. "Designers fuse different things together to make something new and worthwhile. I was filled with pride and joy that I could put our traditional motifs in a rather different context. I also wanted to unravel my desires to share the wonderful truths that I've found to be unique to the lessons in the vast teaching of Buddhism."

She likened Buddhism to a deep sea, a treasure trove of ingenuity, saying that she wants people to take note of the warmth present in Buddhist thought, grounded as it is in a deep humanity, rather than to consider Buddhism as an abstruse and incomprehensible religion.

If design embodies the magic of expression, you could say that Lee's clothes are an integrated art form that evokes a harmony between East and West, tradition and modernity.

As the Buddha seeks to bless the encounter of a beautiful couple, lotus blossoms of various colors decorate the western style wedding garb. Though western, it shares some uncanny resemblance in harmony with Korean clothing, seeming to be a unique riff on native dress, rather than something entirely different.

On the outside, you see the elegant Asian grace of curved lines and billowing cloth; inside, the curved lines of a body's silhouette, with the feel of a western painting.

What more, while refraining from disturbing the unique Korean tradition, instead of using the multicoloreddancheong pattern that symbolizes a Buddhist utopia,she used sage green in order to provide a different expression that was on the mark in its modern refinement. Indeed, after spendingsome time gazing upon her craft, it was like being in a paradise of boundless compassion.

“Though making art-wear is never simple, I think it is stylish and definitely worthwhile to give it a try. Though it's impossible to know if I can convey my true feelings, it's good to have the conviction that I'm trying my best. I'm really ruminating on the Buddhist admonition that says to 'Go forth alone, like a rhinoceros horn.'" This all comes from her dignified confidence, a bright and dazzling power, like the vibrant red sun that rises above the stoic darkness of night to open the day.

She's not someone who simply creates fashion by herself, Professor Lee Kihyang is someone who researches fashion in-depth, such that fashion becomes a refined tool by which she can express herself.

She wonders, "how can I convey the Buddha's great love to humanity?"

As the woof and warp of a fabric are mutually intertwined,the roots of our infinite karmic acts are meshed, and we long to remember our fruitful encounters with one another. Lee has provided us with many such encounters - in the meeting between various shapes on fabrics, between senses of colors and textures, between life and art, and between Buddha and sentient beings. There is a true beauty she accomplishes in these harmonies. Without distinctions of high and low or smooth and rough, her sensibility within the mundane world is like the fragrance of the lotus.

<Photo captions>

Photo 1 - Left: "The reason for looking on sentient beings with compassion..." Dongjin Bodhisattva protects the dharma that redeems the foolish world of humanity.

Right: "Always a new beginning,"Among the 12 signs of the Asian zodiac, the dragon ushers in the new millennium. The dragon brings a wish welcoming Asian wisdom.

Photo 2 - Artwork: "Leading to the other side" - Amita Buddha, leading sentient beings to the Western Pure Land

Photo 4- Artwork: ‘Always a new beginning’ Among the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit brings the millennium to a close, signifying our need to reflect on our past deeds and to make a pledge for the times ahead.